Monday, November 7, 2011

So, I've commissioned a short run of my children's book in hardcover for a special early proofing. I wasn't going to sell them originally, but a lot of people wanted a copy, so now I am! If you want to get your signed hardcover, head on over to www.crimsonoaksports.com to buy yours! I only have so many copies available and I'm not sure how long it will be until more are printed, so if you want it, act fast!! I will sign it and ship it to you personally!

Babies and Bad Health . . .

Well, Halloween came and went and already I've seen the first snow. I feel time whizzing by this year and it's all because of one little girl. Parenthood changes everything for the better, and in my case maybe brings out some unknown health problems as well. All my life I was an easy bruiser buy never thought anything of it till I started getting CBCs during pregnancy. Apparently I have low platelets which plummeted pretty bad after birth (they make your blood clot) It got to a dangerous level but luckily there are drugs to try and fix it but it will never go away. Having that second child will be a miracle. But, I cannot be more in love with what I do have. Little E is the most entertaining, spirited baby whose endless humor and smiles gets me through the most fatiguing days.

Monday, August 1, 2011

I've been busy busy trying to finish the third Knight Angels book amongst dealing with pre-term labor and false labor and working with my publisher to publish Ladybird, Ladybird (Which was due to release in July but got pushed back because of my pregnancy issues.) Anyway. So, this month I will become a mommy, and that's one of the best things EVER!

So, let's play a game. I've made this poll for you to guess what day you think my little peanut will arrive. My official Due date is August 28th. The facts are that she's measuring two weeks big, and I have Gestational Diabetes in case that sways your opinion on date. So, take a stab at it and have fun!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Wall Street Journal came out with an article yesterday titled, "Darkness Too Visible: Contemporary fiction for teens is rife with explicit abuse, violence and depravity. Why is this considered a good idea?"

Basically, if you read the article, it attacks the Young Adult culture written into the popular teen books of today. It's no doubting that the YA Paranormal Romance section has exploded with books since the popularity of Twilight, but what they should really be asking themselves is why?

In my opinion, it's not the fault of the teen or the writer, but the fault of the economy and world. In down times, adults are faced with more stress and unfortunately they bring that home with them, ripening the already volatile and uncertain lives of our teens. If struggling to fit into High School isn't enough, there's the ugly truth of what to expect of their futures. Adults with degrees from top universities are having a hard time finding jobs, how does our youth expect to find their niche when it comes time? Then there's the reality of the forclosure market. Many American families are dealing with this and teens simply refuse to adapt to the change.

In my opinion, Contemporary Young Adult Fiction is actually trying to help by relating. Sure, there is a lot of violence, abuse, and horrifying overtones in our books these days, but that's because we are reaching out to a youth inundated with the real horrors of it in their everyday life. What The Wall Street Journal forgot to address was the heroes and heroins of the story that teach us how to overcome this adversity, how to deal with the pain and despair.

I personally can reflect on the fact that the novel Go Ask Alice changed my life as a teen. I wish there had been more dark novels like it. In High School I dealt with the loss of a boyfriend, but in a world where death wasn't dealt with at all, I was left in utter darkness. Books like the ones I write today are finally helping me to face these fears and struggles and realize that life is worth living--ten years too late.

I've had a number of fans write telling me how my books have changed their lives. One recently, a boy from the Philippines, wrote to tell me how Feather changed everything for him. In a country where he simply could not afford to read, I was able to send him a copy of my book. The story was one of triumph over the end of the world, rising to the occasion and being the hero while maintaining a moral life of truth and power.

Another fan of mine, in her mid-twenties, also read my Feather Book Series only to realize that she was in a bad, loveless marriage. As a fan of mine on Facebook, I can say with confidence that she took the leap to get away and is happier than ever and in the deepest love of her life with a new man, "Her Edgar," she tells me. Her story touched me so deeply, I published her poem in my latest book, Knight Angels: Book One:

Killing Truth

By Tessa Rei

Your face blinds me from the truth that fallows

That wretched, annoying, nagging truth that swallows

Swallows me whole in its dark mouth as I fighting for air

Searching everywhere for the way out but finding it nowhere,

Blind in this colorless monster of guilt I see your face

Pulling myself closer to you as I pick up this shameful pace

I’m in this lonely pit with or without you, and there is no sound

Only this shit in my blasted head spinning all around

I call out to you; oh please can you hear me?

Echoes in this darkness are all I hear, nothing is what I see …

Placing my hands in front of me to brace my fall

Calling out to you again but hearing nothing at all

I scream as long as these lungs will hold this breath

Feeling something beneath me break, I’m falling closer to death

I will remain here dying until I find you

This truth is killing me, why? What will I—or can I do?

As my last breath escapes me there is a comforting voice

Hello … it’s you … now you have left me with no choice

I cry out quietly for you once more

Opening my eyes I can see you more colorful than before …

It's not that teens are darker than they were before, it's just that they're finally lashing out about it. Teens have learned to deal with their depression in a healthier way than bottling it up. If reading a dark YA novel is their way of doing that, then I say that's far better than turning to drugs, alcohol, or self-mutilation. Reading about it helps them to see and live the pain of the character, ultimately encouraging them not to do it as the character almost always learns to overcome. Many of us, like the 46 year old mother-of-three in the The Wall Street Journal article have forgotten what it's like to be a teen.

It's hard!

The problem here is that parents are just looking for another thing to blame for a lack of parenting. It shouldn't matter what your child reads, watches on TV, or is exposed to. No matter how hard we try, we aren't going to be able to protect them from everything--they will always find a way to watch it or do it behind your back. Trust me. I know I did. The best approach in this case is to address the child and their problems directly. Take time out of your day to make sure they feel secure and loved. Take time to notice if they're slipping into depression, using drugs, or sneaking alcohol. We live in an entitled world where it's easier to blame than accept blame onto yourself.

Get over it! Be the parent!

These books do nothing but teach our youth how to overcome pain, depression, and evil. It's the state of the economy and the mindset of the adult culture that is to blame--just switch on Glenn Beck on CNBC for a few minutes and tell me that's not depressing--and until it gets better, darkness and our personal demons are going to be something we all deal with as we always have, just not so outwardly.

YA hopes to help that. YA hopes to give teens a light in the darkness and relate to them in a time when they need our support and understanding more than ever.

If you support YA reads, yell it out on Twitter using the topic #YAsaves

Friday, June 3, 2011

The Book Trailer process is an ongoing thing but this cut is a good one and I want to share! Thank you Brad and Kolbi and everyone else for amazing shots! Makes me wish I could spend time in Georgia because it's still not as green here as it is in the video!

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What we don't often understand is the intensity of emotion we once felt as a teenager. As we grow up, we tend to forget how immense everything once felt, how concentrated our lives are when seen through a window of only sixteen or seventeen years.I live to write about what it felt like back then, because no matter how deep the love we find when we grow up, it never feels quite like that magickal first kiss.I never knew that life would take me in the direction it has, but I am here for the ride. Do what you love is what they always say, and this blog is all about that. Welcome to my world, a place where every moment is never wasted...